Jumping apparatus

ABSTRACT

An exercise or amusement apparatus is provided whereby a person can jump rope using only one hand for actuation. Two separate stanchions provide anchorage for each end of a primary line. The stanchions are weight adjustable and weight limited so as to fall over before allowing a person to be tripped by the primary line. The jumper holds one end of an actuating line which connects to a central part of the primary line and he is able to whirl the primary line around his body. A sleeve, connecting the actuating line to the primary line, has a greater bore than the line threading it so that kinks will not develop in the line and the jumper may move the position of the actuating line along the length of the primary line while continuing to actuate the line for jumping. Adjustable weight means are also provided for the actuating line for proper control of the swinging motion by an actuating party.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Richard Dror Attorney-Alfred W Kozak ABSTRACT: An exercise or amusement apparatus is provided whereby a person can jump rope using only one hand for actuation. Two separate stanchions provide anchorage for each end of a primary line. The stanchions are weight adjustable and weight limited so as to fall over before allowing a person to be tripped by the primary line. The jumper holds one end of an actuating line which connects to a central part of the primary line and he is able to whirl the primary line around his body. A sleeve, connecting the actuating line to the primary line, has a greater bore than the line threading it so that kinks will not develop in the line and the jumper may move the posi tion of the actuating line along the length of the primary line while continuing to actuate the line for jumping. Adjustable weight means are also provided for the actuating line for proper control of the swinging motion by an actuating party.

JUMPING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of this invention falls in the category of exercise or amusement apparatus.

In the prior art of this field number of devices provide for jumping exercises which show variations from the ordinary two-handed manually actuated loops .of rope to complex motor-driven systems for rotation of jumping ropes. The present invention provides a simplified apparatus here only one hand is needed for jump rope actuation.

Often times in group child's play at jumping rope games, the requirement for three children arises-such that each child must stand at each end of a rope line and turn rope while the third child jumps the rope in-between the other two children who are actuators of the rope motion. Other times, when only two children are playing, they will tie one end of a rope to a fence or doorknob and one child will actuate the rope while the-other jumps. 5

However, in the case of the apparatus of this ipvention, it is nowpossible for one child to actuate the rope with one hand while jumping, and bejoined in jumping by one or more other children, so that no child is leftout of the jumping activity.

In the field of amusement and exercise devices, it is generally felt to be advantageous when exercise is accompanied by amusement; and from another viewpoint, when amusement requires some physical exercise, this also is considered desirable. Further, participation by more than one person is considered more desirable than just spectatorship.

Thus an invention of the type envisioned herein overcomes the limitations of exercise apparatus which provides minima amusement accommodation thereto. 5

The invention described herein overcomes the need for contributors who can not participate, i.e., rope swingers who can not jump rope until they get their turn. The invention pro- Two stanchions having upright post extensions provide elevated support for the ends of a flexible line while permitting the free rotation there in either direction. The central part of the flexible line is connected to an actuating member which may be a driving or turning line with a handle at one end and having the other end connected to a sleeve threading the main jumping line. By whirling the driving line, the primary jumping line is caused to rotate about the body of the jumping party. The person jumping may move his body laterally nearer or farther from a stanchion while jumping since the sleeve is free to move along the jumping line. Provision is also made for varying the weight at the end of the driving line for proper control of rotation, and a safety control feature is allowed by adjusting the weight of a base portion of the stanchion so that it will keel over ifa child or other person whips the line around in too speedy a motion or if the line should strike a body with the tendency to trip it.

Further the assembly, disassembly, height, adjustment for length of lines, etc. is simply provided for by threading ends of lines and tying knots therein so that a child can easily accomplish these adjustments and assembly.

vides for jumping rope actuation with one hand leaving the 7 other hand free for balance, such as for holding another jumpers hand, or even for such other diverse activity as throwing and catching a ball with the free hand while otherwise turning the rope with the first hand and jumping the body.

Further the apparatus of the invention permits physical exercise with such amusement factors as allowing the jumper to switch hands or pass the actuating member from hand to hand Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is a drawing of a perspective view of the apparatus with dashed lines indicating the position of the operator;

FIG. 2 is a drawing of part of the securing means and showing the stanchion with supporting base and the rod upright;

FIG. 3 is a drawn of the connecting sleeve for joining the actuating or driving line to the primary jumping line;

FIG. 4 is a detailed viewof the handle for the driving line of the actuating member.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, an overall view of the invention is shown wherein a primary line 3 is secured between stanchions I and I at a suitable distance apart which preferably' may be of the order of 6 feet in distance, but which may easily be increased by lengthening the primary line 3 to a desired length.

' The length of line 3 is so arranged that thecentral portion of while jumping; to move his body and the actuating member nearer to or farther from one of the supporting stanchions; to pass the actuating member to another participant while continuing the rope jumping activity; to play a relay game of jumping wherein one jumper passes the actuating member to another who passes it to another all the while maintaining the whirling motion of the line and jumping the line.

A further feature of the invention not contemplated or solved by the prior art is the safety factor of speed-limiting of the whirling action of the rope. While the weight of the actuating member-herein can be adjusted in weight for optimum whirling, sometimes the enthusiasm of a whirler drives the speed of the line to a speed where impact on the person could trip the person or be injurious or hurtful. Thus, one embodiment'of the invention contemplates limiting the weight of the supporting stanchions that as an undesirable speed is reached or as'thc line encounters body resistance, the stanchions will fall over and stop the action.

Thus the apparatus described herein provides the desirable characteristics of amusement, single or several-party participation, in conjunction with healthful exercise and recreation in a simpleuncomplicated manner not foreseen by the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The'apparatus disclosed herein provides means for amuseline 3, will before usage, lie flat along the ground plane 8.

The primary line 3 has two ends 3 and 3 each of which is secured at an elevated position, one end being secured to stanchion 1 and the other to stanchion l. Securing of the end of the line is done very simply by threading the line 3 through a hole such as hole 2a on stanchion I and tying an end knot 3a. In this manner the primary line 3 is secured to the stanchion but without restricting the freedom of line 3 to turn within hole 2a thus preventing twisting or kinking of the line when it is turned. Likewise the other end 3" of line 3 is threaded and tied to stanchion l. Adjustment of elevation of the line ends is accomplished by the choice of differentially elevated holes situated in the stanchions.

At the central portion of line 3, there is provided a sleeve 5 through which line 3 is threaded. This sleeve 5 has an internal bore, later to be described, which permits free movement of the sleeve 5 along the length of line 3. Removably attached to sleeve 5 is a driving line 4 for the purpose of making linkage from sleeve 5 to the hand of a person standing adjacent the central portion of line 3.

The driving line 4 must be of sufficient length to reach from the sleeve 5 at the ground plane 8 to the hand of the operating party. A suitable length used in this embodiment is 3 feet. Removably attached to the upper end of driving line 4 is a handle 6 for grasping and turning the driving line 4 using the operator's hand. Handle 6 may be of any suitable form which permits easy attachment of the line 4 andpermits freedom of turning so that no twist or kink will develop in line 4. As will be described in detail later herein, line 4 is threaded through an internal bore 6a (FIG. 4) in the handle 6 and is secured by a knot4a. I

The handle 6, the line 4, the sleeve 5, and the central portion of the primary line 3 constitute an actuating member in the nature of a pendulum which can be used to whirl or rotate of an operator. As described hereinafter, the actuatingmember has means for adjusting the pendulous-weight at the periphery for better control ofturning.

Referring to FIG. 2, the stanchion 1 is shown in greater detail, and it should be stated that stanchion 1 is essentially a duplicate of stanchion 1 such that the referenced parts of stanchion 1' correspond to the referenced parts of stanchion l with the addition of the prime mark.

As seen in FIG. 2, the stanchion 1 is preferably composed of a base la having a recess 10 which is used to support an extension rod lb in the vertical position. Along a portion of the length of the rod lb, a series of holes or apertures are provided at different heights from the base. The holes 2a, 2b, and 2c are shown to represent the series of holes used and must be of a size great enough to permit threading of line 3 therethrough but yet not so large as pass a knot such as 3a tied onto the end of the line. The holes 2a, 2b, and 2c are spaced preferably about 3 inches apart, and permit adjustment of elevation of the line end. Rod lb may preferably be made of hollow plastic for light weight and be approximately 3 feet in height.

The base la may be made of wood having an 18 inch diameter or of other suitable material which can be made to provide a desired weight up to about 10 pounds. A recess 10 is provided into which may be inserted the rod lb. The recess may be desirably about 3 inches in depth and 2 inches in diameter. While the described stanchion provides the necessary requirements for anchoring the line 3, other suitable means may also be used as longas the stanchion is portable, may easily be assembled and disassembled, and can be altered in weight to a desired value. It is important that the weight be adjustable to a desired amount in order to provide a release or fail-safe" point where the stanchion will fall over when the line 3 is turned too rapidly where it might have a hurtful impact on a body or where someone might be apt to trip over the primary line.

The connecting means for linking the driving line 4 with the primary line 3 is shown in detail in FIG. 3 to which reference is now made. A sleeve 5 which is used for threading primary line 3 is preferably made of cylindrical form of plastic, metal or other suitable material with sufficient weight to constitute a pendulum in conjunction with line 4. Sleeve 5 is provided with a bore 5a larger in diameter than primary line 3 so that sleeve 5 can be moved longitudinally on line 3 and so that line 3 will not be twisted or develop kinks. Centrally located on sleeve 5 is an annular groove 5b around which a loop 4b of line 4 is placed and formed into a securing knot 40. This permits quick and easy connection and disconnection features simple enough for a child to accomplish.

The pendulous weight of the actuating means can easily be adjusted by placing an annular ring 7a on line 4 above the sleeve 5. The rings may be made of soft rubber, plastic or other suitable material having a smooth surface, thus providing for better control of whirling the line 3 and insuring that line 3 will move to its full rotative diameter against wind resistance. It will be understood that other means may also be used for adjusting the pendulous weight.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4 wherein the manually grasped portion of the actuating means is described. A handle 6 is threaded by driving line 4 through an internal bore 6a having a diameter larger than the diameter of line 4 permitting free rotational movement of line 4 within the handle 6. Line 4 is secured to handle 6 by tying a knot 4a preventing slippage of line 4 from handle 6.

The handle 6 may be constructed of any suitable material such as wood or plastic and be of sufficient length to allow comfortable grasping by the hand of the party turning the primary line for jumping, or for passing the handle to another participant during the action of jumping while turning the line.

While the above embodiments makes reference to a single actuating member for whirling the primary jumping line, it should be understood that the invention also provides for a plurality of such actuating members also, such that two or more participants may drive the primary jumping line in the nature of a coordination exercise or in the nature of driving in tandem.

Mode of Operation With reference to FIG. 1, operation of the apparatus of the invention is accomplished by manually grasping the handle 6 after the operator has placed the body between stanchions l and I. By manually whirling the actuating line 4, the operator causes line 3 to move about in a rotative pattern as exemplified by dashed line 3d. While rotating line 3 about the jumpers body, the operator jumps the body over the line each time the line 3 passes under it. Should the line 3 be turned too rapidly or should it hit a jumping party, then one or both stanchions will fall over before a party would be tripped over.

An operating party may choose to lengthen or shorten lines 3 by changing the distance between stanchions after having unsecured, for example knot 30. Further, the operator may adjust the elevation of the ends of line 3 by untying knots 3a and 3a, and threading the holes 2a and 2a, and threading line 3, for example, through holes 2c and 2c in order to retie knots 3a and 3a.

Another choice permitted to the jumping party is adjustment of the weight of stanchions 1 and 1' by the provision of substitute bases In and la having a substantially different weight.

For example one set of bases 1a and la may be 6 pounds each in weight while a second set' of bases may be 9 pounds each in weight.

An operating party may also adjust the pendulous weight of driving line 4 by untying knot 40, threading on a weight ring 7a as shown in FIG. 3 and resecuring knot 40. I

'Thus, the apparatus provides for simplicity, ease of setup and individual adjustment in addition to providing easy portability of parts. Having thus described my amusement and exercise apparatus, I claim as follows:

What I claim is:

1. An exercise apparatus comprising in combination: a primary line of flexible material having two ends; securing means for anchoring each end of said primary line at a distance apart in.an elevated position above the ground plane while permitting free rotative movement of said primary line; actuating means having a driving line with a first end and second end, said first end connected to said primary line and said second end being free for manual movement thereof for impelling said primary line in a rotative pattern encircling the body of a operator located between said securing means; said actuating means including connection means connecting said driving line to said primary line and permitting linear movement of said connection means along the length of said primary line.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the pendulous weight of said actuating means is adjustable for control in impelling said primary line.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the said securing means may be adjustably weighted in relationship to the length and speed of the rotating primary line so as to lower its elevated position upon impact of said primary line with an interfering body.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said actuating means is linearly movable along said primary line during rotative motion of said primary line.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said actuating means comprises a driving line linking a sleeve threading said primary line, and said driving line includes means for adjusting the pendulous weight thereof.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said securing means is provided with elevation adjustment means for regulating the height of each end of said primary line.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a baseplate supporting one end of a detachable rod, said rod providing a linear series of holes bored therethrough, and said actuating means comprises a driving line having one end for manual grasping and a second end connected to a sleeve threading the central portion of said primary line.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said sleeve includes a peripheral annular groove, and said one end of a driving line 

1. An exercise apparatus comprising in combination: a primary line of flexible material having two ends; securing means for anchoring each end of said primary line at a distance apart in an elevated position above the ground plane while permitting free rotative movement of said primary line; actuating means having a driving line with a first end and second end, said first end connected to said primary line and said second end being free for manual movement thereof for impelling said primary line in a rotative pattern encircling the body of a operator located between said securing means; said actuating means including connection means connecting said driving line to said primary line and permitting linear movement of said connection means along the length of said primary line.
 2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the pendulous weight of said actuating means is adjustable for control in impelling said primary line.
 3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the said securing means may be adjustably weighted in relationship to the length and speed of the rotating primary line so as to lower its elevated position upon impact of said primary line with an interfering body.
 4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said actuating means is linearly movable along said primary line during rotative motion of said primary line.
 5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said actuating means comprises a driving line linking a sleeve threading said primary line, and said driving line includes means for adjusting the pendulous weight thereof.
 6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said securing means is provided with elevation adjustment means for regulating the height of each end of said primary line.
 7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a baseplate supporting one end of a detachable rod, said rod providing a linear series of holes bored therethrough, and said actuating means comprises a driving line having one end for manual grasping and a second end connected to a sleeve threading the central portion of said primary line.
 8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said sleeve includes a peripheral annular groove, and said one end of a driving line includes a handle threading said driving line while permitting free turning thereof, said handle cooperating with said end of a driving line for providing length adjustment of said driving line. 